On Wednesday, June 10, Dr. Badr Abdel-Aty, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Egyptians Abroad, received Mr. Osman Saleh, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Eritrea. The meeting addressed ways to enhance the strategic partnership between the two countries and coordinate positions on issues of common interest.
Ambassador Tamim Khallaf, the official spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that Minister Abdel-Aati praised the outcomes of the successful bilateral visit of His Excellency President Isaias Afwerki to Egypt, within the framework of advancing and strengthening relations between the two countries in various fields. He emphasized the strength of the historical relations that unite the two brotherly countries, expressing his appreciation for the existing coordination and the unity of visions and common interests between the two countries. He stressed Egypt's full support for the State of Eritrea in order to preserve its sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, and the keenness to continue building on the momentum witnessed in bilateral relations and enhancing cooperation in various fields in a way that achieves the interests of the two brotherly peoples.
The Foreign Minister also stressed the keenness to enhance economic and trade cooperation with Eritrea in various fields, building on the outcomes of the visit of the Eritrean President's Economic Advisor to Egypt last April, as well as the joint visit of the Foreign Minister and the Minister of Transport to Asmara last May with a delegation of Egyptian businessmen, including activating the cooperation agreement in the field of maritime transport that was signed in Asmara. He expressed his aspiration to continue joint work to increase the volume of trade exchange, encourage joint investments, and support the participation of the Egyptian private sector in the Eritrean market, especially in priority sectors, most notably mining, infrastructure, maritime transport, linking ports, developing and raising the efficiency of Eritrean ports, pharmaceutical industries, fisheries, and housing, in addition to enhancing technical cooperation in the field of capacity building through technical courses organized by the Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development, in a way that responds to the needs and priorities of the Eritrean side.
Regarding the security of the Red Sea, the two ministers stressed that the security and management of the Red Sea remains the exclusive responsibility of the littoral states, and completely rejected any attempts by non-littoral parties to impose security arrangements or roles in this context or to impose their maritime access in violation of the provisions of international law, while supporting Eritrea’s vision regarding the management of the Red Sea, particularly the emphasis on the unity and sovereignty of the states bordering the Red Sea.
The official spokesperson added that the two ministers exchanged views on developments in the Horn of Africa region, with Minister Abdel-Aty reviewing the Egyptian vision regarding developments in Sudan and Somalia, stressing Egypt’s firm position on maintaining the security and stability of the Horn of Africa region as a direct extension of Egyptian national security, and the importance of supporting national state institutions and preserving the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the countries of the region and rejecting any unilateral measures that would infringe on the sovereignty of countries or undermine the foundations of stability in the region.
